Maundy Thursday 2006

Maundy Thursday

April 13, 2006

And He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body, which is given for you; this do in remembrance of Me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new, testament in My blood, which is shed for you. - Luke 22:19, 20.

            While eating the Passover meal with His disciples, the Savior takes of the bread and wine and, blessing them, gives them to His disciples with the plain words: "This is My body; this is My blood. This do in remembrance of Me." He calls it the New Testament. So the Old Testament, or covenant, with its types and symbols and burdensome rites and laws, is abolished. We are now living in the times of the New Testament, in which we have Christ Himself and all the rich treasures of His saving grace, which He won for us in His vicarious sufferings and death on the cross.

            Mistaken minds have altered the words of His testament, some calling it a mere symbol in which we receive nothing but bread and wine. Others declare that their priests can change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ and thus offer up Christ anew for the sins of the living and the dead. But that is a improper abuse of the Lord's testament; for Scripture expressly declares what we eat and drink in the Lord’s Supper.

            Relying on Christ's sacred Word, we believe that we receive with the bread that we eat and the wine that we drink in the Lord's Supper His true body and true blood in an inexplicable, heavenly manner. Only then do we receive this Holy Supper worthily when we humbly believe the plain words of Christ and come to the Sacrament in "remembrance" of our Lord Jesus Christ.

            Why should we remember the Lord's death? Luther answers: "That we may learn to believe that no creature could make satisfaction for our sins but Christ, true God and man; and that we may learn to look with terror at our sins and to regard them as great indeed and to find joy and comfort in Him alone, and thus be saved through such faith." And why I should wish to go to the Sacrament, Luther again tells us so touchingly: "That I may learn to believe that Christ died for my sins out of great love, as before said; and that I may also learn of Him to love God and my neighbor."

            As we rightly take our Lord’s body and blood we express true worship of God, whose love and forgiveness flows into us and then back again to God and other people.

            Lord Jesus, make us ever worthy guests at Thy table of grace. Amen.